In Memoriam
by BrightunShiny
Summary: It's easier to miss them at a cemetery, where they've never been anything but dead, than to miss them at all the places where they were alive. A story exploring the long term results of war against the Reapers.
1. Jack

**Everything is now chronological!**

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* * *

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The soldier in front of Shepard crumpled mid swing as a sniper shot tore through his helmet. The Vanguard slammed his head back, and as the Cerberus agent behind him reeled from the blow, the Commander dove forward and charged the both of them across the battlefield with his biotics, modifying the maneuver so that when they came through on the other side, the agent went flying over his shoulder and slammed against the wall with all the momentum the Commander could muster. The agent's impact sounded with a brutal snap and it fell to the ground in a heap. Reaching down, Shepard pulled a grenade from the corpse and immediately primed it, sending it flying in the air towards a pair of Cerberus turrets. The two guns finished tracking his position, and as they began to open fire, the explosive detonated and sent them crashing to the ground. One of the turrets malfunctioned, firing continuously into the ground, and Shepard bioticly leaped towards it, yanking to a standing position and turning it against the remainder of the Cerberus agents.

The high-powered turret made short work of the former human soldiers, and the Commander unceremoniously dropped the turret and leaped towards the hallway they had been defending.

He had to be in time.

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* * *

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"Don't you do that- -to me. Don't you- -go soft."

"Me go soft? This is just perspiration. It was a hell of a fight getting down here."

"Shame you missed the high- -light. Blew up a mech by-shoving one of those Cerberus cun- -ts into its intake vent."

"Seems like those would be too small to fit a Cerberus agent."

"Like I sa- -id, a highlight. Fuck."

"Easy, don't strain yourself. The shuttle is on its way."

"Don't give me- -that, 'we're- -gonna save you,' shit, Shepard. We both know- -this- -doesn't end well for me."

"Stranger things have happened."

"Not- -wrong. Take care of my- -kids, alright?"

"I will. You have my word."

"Al- -ways a hero. They're- -not ready. Not ready for this. Keep- -them- -safe. Gotta- -say, its weird seeing you without your- -hel- -met on."

"The shuttle's here. Jack, the shuttle is here."

"- -"

"Jack."

"- -"

"Shepard?"

"Where are the students, Garrus?"

"All but one are dead. Cerberus cornered them. From what we can tell the kids put up too much of a fight and Cerberus... the one survivor is stable. She should make it."

"... We're moving out."

"Shepard, your arm."

"It's alright, Garrus. I can carry her."

"Well, given the Cerberus Cruiser on its way back around I'll carry the both of you then. We gotta move."

"..."

"I've got her, Shepard. I've got her."

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* * *

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	2. Miranda

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* * *

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"The bastard did something to her. He... he changed her."

"He was researching indoctrination."

"You don't... oh God. He did, didn't he. There has to be a way to reverse the process."

"There isn't."

"Fuck you Shepard. I know what you're thinking."

"Don't put her through this, Miranda."

"I won't give up on her."

"That's not what this is."

"We can slow the process. I'll keep her safe until the Crucible is completed and then once the Reapers are destroyed she'll... she'll..."

"Still be lost."

"No. I can save her."

"Miranda..."

"Fuck off Shepard. This isn't one of your acceptable losses, this is my sister. I'm taking her with me."

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* * *

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Traynor hesitated, and Shepard glanced at her. "The next report?"

"It's nothing, I'll-"

"Too late for that now. Report."

"Yes Commander. The body of Miranda Lawson was found on the Citadel with the body of her sister, Orianna Lawson, nearby. The cause of their deaths were multiple lacerations and a single gunshot to the head, respectively. C-Sec believes it was the work of an assassin made to appear as a murder suicide, but do not have any leads."

"..."

"Shepard?"

"The next report."

"... A shipment of Eezo from Omega was intercepted by Reaper forces. Possible replacement supplies are..."

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* * *

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" _Miranda? No... No no please. No. Miranda. Miranda! What have I... No. Please, Miranda! Miranda!"_

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* * *

 _._


	3. The Illusive Man

**Borrowed plot material -** _ **The Perfect Weapon -**_ **TheScreamingViking**

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* * *

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"It didn't make any sense, Shepard. None of this. They knew about the Crucible - how could they not - yet they did almost nothing to slow its creation."

"Those aboard the convoys destroyed would disagree."

"Paltry excursions that in the grand scheme of things amounted to nothing. Tuchanka, Rannoch, major theaters in this war, but the Reapers sent only a single Destroyer to each. Tactically, these actions make no sense. They allowed their enemies to band together, they allowed their enemies to create a weapon with the capability to destroy them, and they let the hub of the galaxy remain a refuge for civilians. Why?"

"Because they're focused on the major planets. Their goal is-"

"How quickly did the Batarians fall? So quickly that the news of their destruction arrived at the same time as the Reapers did. As terrifying and devastating as this war is, to them it is anything but. They aren't fighting a war, Shepard, they are harvesting their grain."

"What does that have to do with the Crucible?"

"The Reapers, the entity that has systematically wiped out countless societies, indoctrinated entire species to their will, let a weapon be passed down from generation to generation that could defeat them? In the thousands, tens of thousands of times this cycle has repeated, they never discovered its existence?"

"It didn't have to be passed down by every cycle... it could have only been..."

"He's indoctrinated, Shepard. We can't trust anything he says."

"Then you are already lost, Asari. You should have been lost for months now. As long as I knew about the Crucible, so would have the Reapers, yet they have done nothing."

"You don't know where it-"

"WHERE IT IS?! You think I would invest so much in the acquisition of the Prothean VI without first knowing the Crucible's location? You think the endless resources you poured into it couldn't be tracked? Open your eyes doctor. I let you create it because I believed it had a different use... to control the Reapers."

"Believed? What changed your mind?"

"The VI."

"It showed you it was impossible?"

"The opposite, Shepard. Layer by layer I delved into its database, and its information showed me my goal was possible. I could modify the Reapers, I could control them, I could use them to bring humanity to the... It was too perfect. What better way to bring the people of galaxy to their knees then to have them pour their resources, their hearts and souls into a project that will lead to nothing? The Crucible is a tool of the Reapers. Shepard, I apologize for what I have done. I know what I was used to do. I was misguided, controlled... indoctrinated, but know I only did what I have done because I believed it was for the betterment of the human race. _They are in your hands now._ "

The Illusive Man lifted his handgun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger.

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* * *

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"Shepard?"

"What is it?"

"Liara asked for us. Apparently she's accessed the Prothean VI."

"Good news?"

"She wouldn't say, but given that she came to me in person, whatever it is seemed like something she wanted kept private."

"... Ok. We'll wait till after dinner. My cabin, bring a chessboard."

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* * *

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"It's all there - instructions on how to use the Crucible against the Reapers. The Citadel itself serves as a catalyst, multiplying the energy of the Crucible and launching it through the entirety of the Mass Effect Relay system. Simulations predict the complete destruction of Reaper forces."

"See, a few hours ago that phrase would have filled me with hope. Now after what the Illusive man said... it all just sounds..."

"Too good to be true?"

"I didn't want to say it. What's our move Shepard?"

" ... "

"He was indoctrinated."

"And he knew it. He wasn't wrong, Liara, none of this makes any sense."

"... We've invested so much into the Crucible... I don't think we could survive the abandonment of it."

"We bring it to the Citadel and the Reapers'll have us in a pretty tight spot. The Lion's share of our refugees and military power in the same system? We'd be laying ourselves out for the Reapers to hammer us flat."

"We can't abandon the Crucible. It's too much of a symbol by this point... even if there's a chance it won't do anything, doing nothing with it will cause us to tear each other apart."

"The Illusive man was right, the Reapers aren't fighting a war. Every engagement has been us reacting to something they have done. Even when we secure a victory, they do nothing in response. We have to make them react, have to do something to elicit a response."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Evacuate the Citadel."

"Oh... Well... now that might work."

"It would also reduce the risk of bringing the Crucible into the system if it comes to that."

"About the Crucible... Liara, do you think the Shadow Broker is up for a challenge?"

"I'm afraid I don't like the sound of that..."


	4. Anderson

_._

 _"We need to take care of that Harvester."_

 _"All of our airships are already engaged."_

 _"Shepard is going to stop it."_

 _"... How?"_

 _._

* * *

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"This should be messy..."

And dangerous - to the point of being suicide - the pragmatic part of his mind pointed out. Shepard couldn't let that stop him, as the Harvester was already within range and was moving fast.

The vanguard collected his biotic energy and willed himself up into the air. His destination wasn't in front of the Harvester, nor atop it, but _inside_ the monstrosity. As the field that had transported him across the battlefield dissipated he pushed as much of his power into his barrier as he could.

There was a horrible, wretched hissing followed by a sudden, impossible pressure, and then nothing.

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* * *

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 _"Friend's doesn't cut it for me anymore, Liara."_

 _"Well, that sounds serious!"_

 _"I am serious. Whatever happens - I'd like to spend my life with you."_

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* * *

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He was falling.

That was odd.

It wasn't normal for him to be falling.

Shepard's eyesight returned as did his senses, and the vanguard realized that the ground was approaching at an alarming rate. Additionally, the ground was covered with an alarming number of Reaper fodder. Not good.

Or was it?

With a roar, Shepard once again enveloped himself within his biotics and used the field to propel himself downward, while simultaneously creating a barrier of force before him. He hit the ground, and the reaper forces, with a mind-tearing thud that sent biotic energy, and the reaper forces, flying through the air.

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* * *

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 _"Holy shit..."_

 _"Right?"_

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* * *

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"How many got through?"

"Close to two hundred thousand."

"Can the Crucible support that many?"

"Just barely... We've already began transporting the refugees to-"

"Do it as quickly as possible. We have to get out of this system. The Reaper's know the relay led to Ilos and they'll be here before too long."

"I'd like to do some data collection. The researchers here have done... adequate work, but they lack inspiration. The Protheans here manage to avoid discovery by the Reapers, there's a chance the methods they used to do so are buried somewhere."

"Good idea, but once we get the refugees on the Crucible we are leaving, Liara."

"I know. Shepard?"

"Yes?"

"More could have escaped with the fleet. We don't know if we were the only ones who made it."

"I know, Liara. I know."

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* * *

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"They knew what we were planning."

"It's probable they always knew. The crucible itself is, in all likelihood, a tool they've used over and over in culling after culling. The idea an entity that could destroy the Reapers has been passed down from generation to generation without them learning of it is... well... looking back, it does seem like it should have been rather obvious it was too good to be true."

"Hard to say. It was hope in a hopeless situation. Without it, we might have lost this war a long time ago."

"I'm still not sure we haven't..."

"You're probably right, but I have no intention of giving up just yet."

"Can't say I disagree... but..."

"I know you can't do anything for me anymore, Shepard. I know the Crucible was Earth's last hope. We'll never stop fighting, but I know what it would cost to save us."

I could send a ship. Take the Normandy and-"

"Like hell. Nobody here will take you up on that ride, and if you waste resources on some hair-brained rescue I will personally strip you of your rank put you behind a desk so quick even your biotics will be dizzy."

"That's quick... It's been an honor, sir."

"Likewise."


	5. Chapter 5

"We can't hide forever, not all of us anyway, and if we allow people to think that's an option it will encourage distrust. For the moment, we need to pursue other choices."

"Any ideas?"

"We're past the point of going head to head with the Reapers. If direct engagement was the plan, we needed to hit them before we discontinued the Crucible."

"Agreed."

"It might, however, be possible to escape."

"Escape? Where? Anywhere we can go the Reapers can follow."

"Yes, but at some point they would lose all reason or desire to. Our numbers are limited, and if the investment to pursue us is too costly..."

"They would stop."

"Potentially."

"It would have to be somewhere impossibly far. _Ludicrously_ far."

"The Andromeda galaxy."

"The Andromeda... You can't be serious, Liara."

"I can be and I am."

"I'm... Shepard. I've seen that look..."

"It's just an idea, Garrus."

"Just an ide... Shepard. The space between here and there isn't exactly a hop skip and a jump."

"All the better for dissuading the Reapers from pursuing us."

"The resources to complete the voyage..."

"Would be extensive, yes. I know it's a long-shot, Garrus, but in my opinion it's the best shot we've got."

"Well... have you made any charts to support your case?"

"As a matter of fact I have."

"I'm convinced. Not sure how the rest of the fleet will feel about it, though."

"Just leave that to me."

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* * *

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"The way I see it Commander, we have only one viable option in regards to the safety of the Crucible and its fleet. Complete compartmentalization. Any ship, any crew, any person who knows of the fleets location will be a part of it and be unable to leave. That way, if any support personnel are captured by the Reapers and indoctrinated, they will only know of the existence of the fleet, not its precise location or its immediate goals, beyond the journey to Andromeda."

"Agreed."

"Support personal, like yourself and the crew of the Normandy, will continue operations in the galaxy. Retrieving refugees, acquiring necessary supplies, and then leaving them at drop points for the fleet to retrieve will be the standard procedure. This does not guarantee the safety of the fleet, but it is the best option at this point in time."

"Agreed."

"I'm glad you understand the situation, Commander. God willing, this will be the last time I need to contact you until we're ready to leave the galaxy. We're all depending on you, Shepard."

"I'll do my best, sir."

"Hackett out."

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* * *

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"So we're the errand boys?"

"In essence. Do the dirty work and all that."

"Just like days gone by."

"Slight increase in regards to the magnitude of danger..."

"Eh. Said it before and I'll say it again: I'm with you until the end, Shepard. Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... meet me at the bar."

"As long as you're buying. I've seen the way you drink."

"I thought that went without saying."

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* * *

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	6. Grunt

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* * *

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"Are we really going to try this?"

"Yes."

"I mean... I'm not exactly against dramatics, but even this seems a little over the top."

"Liara thinks it will work, don't you Liara?"

"I agree with the plan in premise... but the execution... do I really have to yell at them?"

"Yes, you do."

"Hmm. Very well. Though if either of you breath a word of this to anybody..."

"The Shadow Broker, queen of the underworld and mastermind of the galaxy's deepest, darkest plots, screaming like a barbarian at a bunch of Reapers. Now there's a story even al-Jilani couldn't ruin."

"Very funny."

"Are the shuttles ready?"

"Yes Commander."

"Then let's get to it. We've got a show to put on."

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* * *

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"It's working."

"Of course it's working. Liara, get ready to send them up."

"I'm not sure I can lift that many-"

"I am. We've practiced this. Just wait for my signal."

"Yes Commander."

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* * *

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The Reaper forces willingly funneled into the kill-zone Garrus and Shepard created, and for good reason - they had the remnants of the Normandy's crew surrounded, with only a single way in or out. The entrance to the survivor's last stand was filled with the corpses of the bastardized races of Citadel space, but still the mutated legion pushed forward.

Suddenly, the defiant cry of a biotic pierced through the sound of battle, and the land surrounding the battered makeshift fortress glowed with the energy of an immense mass effect field. The combined Reaper forces began to lift in the air, and as they did, an orb of glowing energy burst through the entryway and streaked up into the sky, pulling the abominations with it and creating a massive singularity. Shepard appeared shortly after, and willed himself into the air, directly into the middle of the mass of floating Reaper soldiers.

In theory, this would work. He and Liara had spent years attuning their abilities with one another and he felt the familiar ripple of her singularity pulling against his barrier as he began to fall back to the earth. Practically, however, this maneuver would very likely kill him. There were worse ways to die, and with a roar, the Commander detonated his barrier, fusing its concussive energy with that of the singularity and releasing a tremendous biotic explosion.

The Reaper forces at the epicenter of the singularity were torn apart by the shockwave as it rushed through them and sent the remainder of the soldiers slamming down to the earth, spinning up to the sky, or flying away in any other random direction. For the next half a minute, the sky rained black vitriol and broken Reaper soldiers which hit the ground with wet, dull thuds.

"I think that might have gotten their attention, Shepard."

"..."

"Shepard? Shepard, are you-"

"Report."

"We're alright. Liara is passed out but I've got her. Reaper Harvesters are closing in on our position and-"

"My eardrums are completely blown out. I can't hear a thing you're saying - assuming you are saying anything..."

A moment later a message flashed across his visor. _Liara unconscious, Reaper forces incoming, shuttles are away._

"Good. We'll hold this position until Cortez reaches the extraction point. We've got to keep their Harvesters distracted so the shuttles can escape."

 _Affirmative._

As Shepard read the word, the ground before him rolled forward and a gigantic creature emerged. Shaking the earth and rock off its body as a dog would shake off water, the unidentified Reaper monstrosity stood as tall as a brute, but twice as wide and long. The creature had a armored crest above what was likely the remnants of its face, and as its twisted maw opened wide Shepard felt its roar reverberate though his chest.

 _Brutes are half Turian, that must be a pure Krogan?_

"It used to be. Keep the Harvesters off me."

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* * *

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 _"Get a knife stuck in the right way, it'll pull that plate right of a Krogan's head. It's the best way to get a Krogan to talk - the threat of it drives them mad."_

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* * *

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Shepard pointed the fingers of his gauntlet straight out and drove his arm into the soft flesh he had exposed a moment earlier when he had ripped the armored plate from his adversary's head. The mutated Krogan's bellow burned through the Commander's chest, until Shepard clenched his hand and activated his biotics, sending a blast of gore bursting from the creature's open mouth. Immediately, the charging abomination fell forward, and its momentum sent the two of them slamming into the ground.

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* * *

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 _"Shepard!"_

 _"We need to move him Liara."_

 _"I can't pull him out... His arm."_

 _"There's no time. Get a dose of Medi-gel ready."_

" _What are you? Garrus don-"_

 _"Stop the bleeding. We're getting out of here, now!"_

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* * *

.

"Am I lighter?"

"Shepard. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. How bad is it?"

"Well, I can't say it was my best work, but the cut was clean, should make the attachment of a prosthesis relatively simple."

"Maybe Dr. Chakwas can fix me up like she did your face. Do you think she carries anything in chrome?"

"Something that flashy? No, you'll get the regulation ceramics just like everyone else. I might be able to pull some strings and get you a prosthesis with three fingers like a civilized individual, but I can't make any promises."

"Damn, that could really add some class to my otherwise brutish exterior. Where's Liara?"

"Well she was asleep, but she had Glyph set to wake her when you came to, so she's likely on her way over right now."

"... How many did we save?"

"Enough... We can talk about Andromeda later. For now, take it easy."

"Is that an order from my attending surgeon?"

"You better watch it or I might decide to operate again."

"The Vakarians with a doctor in the family... your grandfather would be turning in his grave."

"Watch it Shepard."

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* * *

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	7. Garrus

_"If this was my last day alive, I'd actually like to remember it."_

 _._

* * *

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The Husk behind Shepard erupted in crackling blue electricity and the Commander's armor triggered a blaring claxon, indicating his biotic defenses were dangerously low. The Vanguard grunted, turned, and slammed his fist into the creature's chest, sending half of it flying away with a blast of energy while the other half fell to the ground in a pool of black vitriol. The Marauder Shepard had been keeping pinned down with his shotgun took advantage of the distraction and began to fire at his exposed back, causing the Vanguard to send himself lancing across the battlefield in a biotic charge that took him to the center of a charging group of Husks. The humanoid creatures immediately turned towards Shepard, but as their claws reached out for him, his barrier exploded with a concussive wave of force that sent the aggressors flying through the air.

A bloated Batarian Cannibal raised the weapon fused with its arm towards the Commander while roaring violently, and the human soldier's shotgun replied in kind, its incendiary ammunition tearing the abomination's flesh from its bones. A second shot delivered a second creature to a similar fate, but the remaining Reaper fodder focused on Shepard's position, forcing him to once again will himself across the battlefield to land beside his initial target, and the Marauder screeched in anger before the Commander's backhanded strike took its head from its shoulders.

Shepard cursed, diving behind a fallen kiosk. He needed to move forward, but the Reapers were throwing soldiers at him just to keep him in place.

 _._

* * *

 _._

 _"You obviously haven't seen Turians swim. It's a lot of flailing and splashing interrupted by occasional bouts of drowning."_

 _._

* * *

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The Banshee scream was muffled by the barrel of Shepard's shotgun, which silenced the mutated Asari a moment later. Breaking free of the creature's death-grip, the Vanguard leaped away as the corpse erupted in a violent burst of energy. The biotic blast from a second Banshee clipped his shoulder as he dove and sent him flying through the air to slam against a concrete pillar. Dazed, the Commander only just avoided a second blast as he rolled to the side, only to have the pillar behind him explode as a roaring Brute charged at him. Desperately, Shepard immersed himself within his biotics once again and transported himself beside the second Banshee, shoving his Shotgun into the creature's side and pulling the trigger until the weapon ran out of ammunition. As the last shot ripped through the Banshee, the Brute slammed its fist against Shepard's back, sending him flying through the air.

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* * *

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" _Long range, I wrote the book. Nobody alive can do this - not even Commander Shepard. Give me a tough one."_

 _Shepard tossed the container of cheap liquor back and forth from one hand to another, grinning devilishly at the Turian beside him. Garrus' eyes widened as the Commander's biotics enveloped him and only just got his weapon pressed against his shoulder in time before Shepard threw the drink as far as his powerful frame and biotics allowed him to. A couple seconds later the container exploded, and Garrus grinned at his companion._

 _"I said a tough one."_

 _._

* * *

.

Shepard roared, dodging to the side and slamming his fist against the Brute's arm as the lumbering behemoth swung at him. The combined momentum of the creature's weight and the Commander's attack threw the Reaper tank off balance and sent it crashing to the ground. Without hesitation, Shepard leaped onto the Brute's back and drove both of his fists downward, preventing the monstrosity from regaining its footing and crushing it into the ground. Before he could finish off his adversary, a mass-accelerated slug ripped through the Commander's biotic barrier as well as his armored shoulder. A moment later, Shepard had lanced once again across the battlefield, and grimaced through the pain as his armor's internal systems closed the wound and he regenerated his barrier.

If the Reaper forces' continuous cries were any indication, they still knew where he was.

"Commander, we need to get out of here," a garbled voice pleaded from his helmet's speakers.

"I'm getting Vakarian."

"He's dead, Shepard!"

"Then I'm getting his corpse!"

"Shepard? Shepard!"

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* * *

.

" _Forgive the insubordination, but this old friend has an order for you... Go out there and give them hell. You were born to do this."_

 _._

* * *

.

The Reapers were closing in, despite his almost continuous biotic leaps towards the extraction point. A wall of Husks charged at him from the front, before slamming against the ground and broken pillars as he threw them aside with furious abandon. A single Marauder now stood before him and his destination, and Shepard roared as he charged the creature, lifting it with one arm as he carried into it the small clearing on the charred landscape. The roar of the Reaper's forces echoed from behind him, and as he turned and flung the Marauder towards the advancing monstrosities, and orb of biotic energy rushed into their midst from above. A muffled thud reverberated across through the air and almost the entirety of the approaching fooder were lifted bodily in the air. Shepard turned and once he had located the approaching craft, willed himself towards it. The shockwave of his and his cargo's arrival threw the Asari standing at the shuttle's entryway off balance for a moment, before she regained her footing and launched yet another biotic projectile down onto the battlefield. Shepard slammed his fist against the door controls, and the Asari stepped back as the entryway sealed itself.

"Hang on!" the pilot cried from the cockpit of the vehicle, and Shepard slid back as the Kodiak shuttle roared through the sky.

"Shepard?" the Asari asked quietly, leaning down beside the commander.

"I got him, Liara. I got him," he replied, his voice rough and broken. The Asari reached out and undid the clasps on Shepard's helmet, pulling it up over his head. The man's eyes were locked on the corpse in front of him, tears streaming down his face."I couldn't let them have him. I couldn't let them take him. He deserves better."

"He knew the risks John, we all do."

"I should have been there. I should have saved him. What the fuck was I thinking?"

"You were saving as many people as you could - you both were. He didn't die because of you, John, he died for the thousands you saved today, and the billions you'll save in the future."

Commander Shepard ran his gauntlets through his hair, shoulders shaking silently as he continued to stare at the corpse of his oldest friend and companion. Liara wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder, her own tears falling against his grime-covered armor.


	8. Chapter 8

She could feel his heartbeat. A steady rhythm, reminding her of the life it allowed - the strength it provided.

The wounds it had survived.

So often now she just lay there - her eyes closed - listening to his heart. Listening as it beat in time with the unyielding and unending sounds of the Normandy - as if the ship itself was driven by what drove the Commander. She found it hard to rest without the constant reminder of the man who had done so much for her... with her. It was impossible to put the weight of her responsibilities aside without his presence.

Without him.

So much of who she was had been defined by his influence. By his strength, devotion... belief.

Everything aside, the trust this man had put in her when they had first met had changed Liara at her core. That belief, combined with his relentless passion and drive, had compelled her to live as she had not imagined living before.

She fought. She learned. She adapted. She grew. She loved.

All for this man.

And he had died.

Liara pressed herself against him, forcing the beating of his heart to drown out the wave of emotions the memory forced her to relive. Despair at his death, anger at who had taken his body, and the desperation that compelled her to trust his revival with Cerberus.

But they _had_ revived him, and she would never let him be taken from her again.

She would die before that happened.

She would die for him.

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* * *

.

She would die for him.

Shepard stared down at Liara, her face lit by the faintest glow from the stars above his cabin.

She had changed, and watching her change had changed him. From the wide-eyed scientist who had trapped herself within her own ingenuity, she had become a woman who had survived everything the galaxy had thrown at her. She had watched her mother succumb. Watched friend after friend die. Watched him die.

He had tried so hard to deny his feelings for her. Deny the passion she inspired in him from their first meeting and the strength of his pride in her accomplishments since then. At the beginning, it had worried him. Now, it still worried him.

They lived a life where companionship only led to pain.

Yet still, companionship had formed.

Like it had with the friends he had been unable to save.

Like it had with Garrus... a wound still raw in his chest.

Liara was his guide. She had survived this loss before. She had watched him die, and it had only driven her to greater feats.

She inspired him.

And she loved him.

Loved him with such impossible intensity that he felt humbled every time they shared themselves with one another. She felt his pride and passion, he felt her love.

And she would die for him.

As if in answer to his thoughts, Liara's head turned and her eyes met his. The Asari's eyebrows creased in worry and Shepard realized there were tears in his eyes. He smiled and drew her closer, resting his head against her own.

If she died, he wouldn't be far behind. Their goal was to escape - bring as many souls as they could with them - but if the Reapers took Liara, he would never stop fighting. They would pay for taking her.

She was all he had left.


	9. Chapter 9

"We've found another group of survivors."

"Good. Let Joker know and-"

"I took the liberty of doing so already."

"Going over my head?"

"Only when it's in your best interests. Speaking of which, have you gone over the information I forwarded you?"

"Yes, but... I was never that good with tactical use of an omni-tool."

"I know. We don't have much of a choice... We need flexibility and..."

"I'll work on it, that's as much as I can promise."

.

* * *

.

Shepard keyed his Omni-tool and the Marauder's shield erupted in a decidedly disappointing burst of energy. A moment later, a tell-tale flicker pulsed around the creature and it continued to fire at him as if nothing had happened.

The Vanguard frowned and eyed a Husk charging at him with a critical eye, glancing from it to the group of Marauders he had been trying to push from their fortifications.

Blessed with sudden inspiration, the Vanguard willed himself towards the charging monstrosity and seized it by the hip and shoulder. The Husk surged with power in response, but Shepard was already hurling the withered pseudo-corpse through the air at its allies. As the Husk approached the Marauders, Shepard once again keyed his Omni-tool and sent its energy into the makeshift projectile.

The combined energy of the Husk and his overload ripped through the Marauders and drained the entirety of their shields.

"More than one way to fry an egg," Shepard muttered under his breath.

As if in response, he heard Liara's shout and a small blue-white orb rocketed into the middle of the Marauders and slammed against the ground, causing an eruption of ice that enveloped the unshielded Reaper forces and froze them instantaneously.

Grinning, Shepard poured energy into his biotic barrier and willed himself towards the fortification, appearing in the midst of the Maruaders and slamming his fist to the ground with the power of his overcharged barrier behind the blow. The shockwave ripped through the Reaper footman and sent their frozen pieces skipping across the battlefield.

"Or freeze it, I suppose..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. What's the status of the survivors?"

"We've lost contact, but from the last information we received they were in the clear."

"Good. Let's get out of here."

.

* * *

.

Joker managed to maneuver the Normandy between the swarm of Harvasters and a transport, taking the brunt of the Reaper flier's attack while the Normandy's weapons responded in kind. A second transport was not so lucky. Nor was a third.

The remainder, however, managed to avoid destruction. Seven ships and their escort broke through the blockade and engaged their FTL drives, vanishing into space.

"Good work, Joker."

"Damn right. Did you see that Reaper barreling down on us? I'm surprised to see one in the middle of nowhere."

"They do have a way of showing up without reason these days..."

"They've probably have had a lot of practice."  
.

* * *

.


	10. Calm

Shepard slammed against the rock of the canyon and if it wasn't for the biotic barrier shielding him, the impact would have certainly killed him. As it was, the Vanguard only found himself sore, as well as being embed a foot within the stone. The rocks surrounding his impromptu crater began to crumble away and with a grunt, the Vanguard once again willed himself towards his opponent.

As he did, he felt his combatants bionics press against his own and before he could halt the charge and or redirect his momentum, found himself once again soaring through the air to slam - this time upside down - against the stone of the far side of the Canyon.

Shepard grunted and stopped himself from falling on his head with an outstretched hand. Rolling forward using his planted arm as an anchor, the Vanguard seized a rock knocked loose by his impact. As the commander rose he spun and sent the projectile flying through the air, putting all of his momentum and a blast of biotic energy behind the archaic missile.

His combatant's own biotic barrier absorbed the impact and turned the rock into a shower of shards and dust. As the dust settled around her, Shepard's opponent could sense his approach behind the visual barrier, and directed her biotics to once again turn the commander's momentum against him to send him flying. This time, however, Shepard did not bring himself nearby for a melee attack, and as she felt the biotic charge abrubtley halt, Shepard's opponent's eyes widened as a blast of biotic energy ripped through her own and sent her flying through the air.

Before she could begin to control her flight, the Commander's biotics once again lashed out at her, this time pulling her back towards him so suddenly that it was almost as if a hand possessed of impossible strength had plucked her from the sky. As she flew, Shepard's opponent twisted her body while she intertwined her own biotics into the Commander's, increasing the speed of her approach. Shepard had sense her influence on his pull, but before the Vanguard could react, his combatant was already within striking distance, completing her spin and sending an armored foot slamming into the side of his head. Behind the strike was the combined power of her momentum, as well as a healthy degree of biotic energy.

 _Its a good thing I'm not holding back._ Shepard mused, careening through the air to slam - face first - against a natural pillar of stone.

The pillar began to fall, and Shepard's opponent's blue eyes widened in alarm and apprehension. She started forward, but froze as the falling pillar began to move awkwardly. Her already wide eyes grew wider still as blue energy began to flicker around the mass of rock and it, inexplicably, pointed directly at her. The dust around Shepard's impact site cleared, and the Asari saw the commander holding the stone pillar above his head as if it were a tithe of the weight it actually was. Obviously it was not simply his muscles keeping the weight aloft, that would be impossible, but the Asari's heart raced at the spectacle of sheer power that was Shepard at this moment.

An instant later she realized the pillar was moving again. Shepard had thrown it at her. "Really..." the Asari muttered under her breath.

A burst of her own biotics kept the pillar from smashing her into the ground, and its impact turned the dry shale of the canyon floor into a billowing cloud of dust and debris.

Liara collected herself, dropping into a ready stance and relying more on her biotic awareness and her hearing than her sight to detect any approach. In the distance she heard a burst of sound and turned toward it, pushing more of her power into her barrier as she did.

For seconds there was only silence, and then instead of a missile flying towards her, Shepard himself appeared, flying out of the dust above her with an almost gleeful roar. Instead of using his biotics to charge into the cloud, apparently the Commander had bodily hurled himself into the air. The image of Shepard soaring through the air, arms outstretched with complete abandon, was one Liara would not soon forget, and she felt herself smiling even as she enveloped the Commander in her biotics and sent him smashing against and into the ground. Shepard's impact sounded with a hearty thud and his ferocious roar ended abruptly with a muted grunt.

Moments passed in silence, Liara standing ready above Shepard's prone form.

Shepard's chest piece began to shake, and Liara realized that the man was laughing - muted and muffled. Whether it was the sheer ludicrousness of his own maneuver or the abrupt landing imposed by Liara, the Commander was laughing at the situation, harder than she had ever seen him laugh before. She felt herself smiling after a moment, a moment later giggling, then sitting beside Shepard and rocking his body with one hand as her own laughter burst from her lips.

Shepard's chest piece stopped moving and his extremities began to shift slightly. "I can't get up," the Commander's muffled voice stated plaintively, drawing a fresh peal of laughter from the Asari beside him.

.


	11. Calm II

.

"What's the news, Joker?"

"Same story, different setting! We've got a gaggle of refugees hold out in the Argos Rho cluster."

"Let's see if we can beat the Reapers there this time."

"Sounds optimistic. I'll do my best!"

"By the way, what's this I hear about another wager among the crew?"

"Bunch of sore losers... I mean, no idea what you're talking about commander."

"I told you no more betting on the outcome of the sparing matches between Liara and I."

"And we didn't."

"Then what was the wager?"

"How much of the local area you would destroy. I bet high."

"No more wagers."

" _You're just upset I was making money off you losing_."

"What was that?"

"Nothing commander! Just talking to Edi."

"No he was not."

"Edi hush."

.

* * *

.

Liara's singularity lifted the un-shielded Cannibals into the air where Shepard's Mattok ripped through them like paper. Keying her Omni tool, Liara sent a burst of energy into the airborne Reaper fodder and their twisted flesh erupted into flame. The Asari called on her biotics again and sent the corpses flying towards the other Reaper forces in the area.

Overhead, another harvester lanced towards the embarking refugees, but Shepard's biotic charge intercepted it. The monstrosity's back erupted in gore as Shepard burst from it and the commander, having learned which part of a harvesters body to target to keep from blacking out - upper back where the wings connected with the body - willed himself to the ground and into the middle of a charging group of husks.

The pale-blue creatures began to ripple with energy, and at the apex of their power Shepard dropped a grenade in their midst before once again charging across the battlefield within his biotics. His maneuver brought him onto the back of a screaming Banshee and he could feel the telltale heat and ripple of Liara's warp tearing through the monstrositys barrier. The commander pulled his arm back before driving it into the creature's torso, unleashing a burst of biotic energy that ripped through its chest and sent gore flying through the air.

"Refugees are clear, ready for extraction."

As Shepard pulled his fist free of the dying banshee, Liara jogged up to him. The Asari tilted her armored head to the side and picked a piece of harvester - or banshee - from the commander's armor. Shepard shrugged, Liara shook her head, and Cortez's dropship roared down from the sky toward them. The Vanguard willed himself through the air onto the dropship, followed a moment later by Liara - the Asari stumbling as she emerged from her own biotic charge.

"Told you it wasn't easy."

"Yes, well we can't all just leap around the battlefield and punch things."

"True. How many of the Refugee ships made it Cortez?"

"So far all of them sir. Joker is escorting them to the relay as we speak and will be back to pick us up ASAP. I think we're getting better at this, sir!"

"Or just getting lucky. Keep us in the air until Joker gets back."

"Yes sir!"

.

* * *

.

"What's wrong?"

"It's... it's nothing."

"Shepard..."

"I'm just... why aren't we encountering more resistance from Reaper forces? Every engagement with them is uniform. We reach the survivors, fight off a Reaper attack, then a Reaper Destroyer chases us out of the system."

"It's quite possible that the forces we encounter are all the Reaper's feel necessary. They likely are focusing on the creation of additional flagships at this time. Once they complete that construction we will likely be hunted down, but until that point we are a minor objective."

"I... suppose. I just-"

" _Shepard, I've just had something crazy come in through coms. You remember Eden Prime?_ "

"... Yes."

" _I mean, of course, sorry, but one of the support groups for Andromeda was investigating the system and found an abandoned Cerberus base. They found some Prothean technology and think you and Liara should take a look._ "

"Could be another VI?"

"Or something new... Take us there, Joker."

" _On it!_ "

.

* * *

.


	12. Javik

The Reaper Marauder's metallic cry ended abruptly as Shepard drove his heel into its neck and sent a shotgun slug slamming through its forehead. The Commander turned and unleased a wave of biotic energy at another group of the former Turians. The Reaper forces held their ground, knowing that their intact shields would dampen the power of the shockwave racing towards them. At the last moment before the attack reached them, Liara's overload erupted in their midst and the biotic energy ripped through the Marauders, scattering them like dolls.

.

* * *

.

"I've got it."

Shepard keyed the life pod's control panel and the device opened with a sharp hiss. Inside was the Prothean Shepard had seen in the images relayed to him from the data Cerberus had gathered before they had vanished. The alien's angular features were covered with crystallized water which began to steam away as its stasis began to dissipate.

"Goddess..." Liara murmured, her voice low in awe.

Shepard moved to stand behind the Asari as they both stared down at the slumbering Prothean.

Liara finally broke the silence. "It may take him some time to fully regain concious-"

The Prothean's eyes shot open and with a yell, unleashed a burst of biotic energy unlike any Shepard had ever encountered that sent Liara and himself flying through the air. As the Commander landed, he rolled backward and dropped into a ready stance, but the Prothean was not pursuing them. The alien staggered awkwardly across the platform to its edge and stared out at the landscape of Eden Prime.

Shepard holstered his weapon and walked towards the Prothean. Liara placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful, he's confused," she stated quietly. "Remember it's been fifty thousand years for us, but for him-"

"He's the Prothean I saw from Cerberus' data, Liara. I'm going to try something."

Liara nodded and moved her hand to her side, close to her sidearm.

The Commander cautiously moved across the platform, stopping behind the Prothean. The ancient alien seemed lost in thought and did not react to Shepard until he placed his hand on its shoulder. As the Vanguard touched the Prothean, he was cast into the familiar chaos that was Prothean communication.

.

* * *

.

 _"There are Pods online, those soldiers are still alive!"_

 _"Their sacrifice will be honored in the coming empire. Preparing newtron bombardment. Get-"_

 _._

* * *

.

Abruptly, the connection was terminated, and the image of the Prothean AI standing before him vanished. Shepard blinked his eyes in confusion, and before he could regain his senses, a blast of biotic energy slammed into him and sent him flying from the platform.

The Commander fell for a few moments before collecting himself and willing himself into his biotics, lancing onto the platform above and drawing his weapon. Liara had created a singularity that held the Prothean in place, its energy pulling at the alien's barrier. The Asari scientists shoulder's visibly sagged in relief at Shepard's return and she began to shout at the Prothean as it strained against her power.

"Please! We do not wish to fight you! We are trying to destroy the Reapers!"

"You-LIE!" the Prothean roared, the words broken and mispronounced. As it spoke, the alien clenched its fist in Liara's direction and baleful green energy enveloped the Asari. In an instant Liara's barrier was torn apart and the malformed warp began to rip away at her exposed armor. Liara's concentration faltered, as did her singularity, and the freed Prothean charged at her.

Shepard appeared before him, emerging from his biotics and firing round after round at the approaching Prothean. With a second gesture the green warp jumped from Liara to the Commander and a blaring klaxon sounded from his helmet, warning him that his barrier was depleted. Through the haze of the warp eating away at his armor, Shepard could see the Prothean and swung his fist at the approaching alien.

The Prothean's attack struck first, its fist slamming into the faceplate of Shepard's helmet. The force of the blow was magnified tenfold by biotic energy and the Commander rocketed backwards to slam against a storage building's wall, his impact leaving a sizable dent in the plated metal of the structure.

A flash of light erupted in the air in front of the Prothean and Liara unleashed her own warp against the alien. In response, Liara felt herself yanked through the air towards her combatant and landed hard, sprawling on the ground before him. As she rose, the Prothean slammed the heel of his foot into her knee, the blow smashing through her weakened armor and causing her lower leg to snap forward with an sickening staccato. Liara screamed, and as she fall away the Prothean seized her throat with both hands and began to squeeze - his eyes hard with rage as the Asari weakly tried to push him away.

Shepard's thrown knife embedded itself in one of those eyes and as the Prothean reeled back. Shepard slammed against his chest. The two figures fell away from Liara and without the Prothean holding her she fell to the ground, twisting her leg painfully as she did. The Asari's vision was blurred and above her desperate gasps for air she could hear the dull, wet thuds of metal striking flesh.

The sounds continued for some time before ending abruptly, and a moment later Shepard knelt beside her, green blood covering his shattered faceplate. _Why?_ Liara tried to ask, but the words would not form from her battered throat.

"Cotez," Shepard's voice sounded distant, far away. "I need evac, now! And have Dr. Chakwas ready for triage as soon as we get back to the Normandy."

Then there was nothing.

.

* * *

.

"She's going to be ok. I've got her under and her trachea should heal nicely. It was close though... Was it really a Prothean?"

"Yes."

"Why did it attack you?"

"I don't know. I... tried to communicate with it. I figured with my exposure to their technology I could, but as soon as I touched it it forcibly broke the connection."

"Connection?"

"Most of the Prothean tech we have interacted with have seem almost... empathic in nature. Information relayed by feelings, sights, memories, almost always received after direct contact. I touched him and was witnessing a memory when he... cut me off."

"I... see. Why would it do that?"

"I... I have no idea... I have to send this information to Andromeda as quickly as possible."

"You think it's that important?

"Yes. Tell me when it's safe to wake Liara, I need to talk to her."

"Yes, Commander."

.

* * *

.

"Are you sure?"

"No... but it makes sense."

"Shepard... I don't... I _can't_..."

"Whatever happens, Liara, I'm here. I'll always be here."

.


	13. Joker

The command deck of the Normandy was silent. Shepard and Liara stood behind Joker at the front of the ship, staring out through the extensive view-port.

The wreckages of the refugee vessels they had saved just days before drifted before them. Recognizable sections of the transport's hulls were few and far between, most of the metal having been ripped into random, serrated shapes by the familiar violence of battle. Frozen corpses clumped against the scattered infrastructures, barely visible against the star speckled emptiness of space.

"What... What happened?" Joker's voice broke the silence as he maneuvered the Normandy through the debris.

Shepard didn't respond. A moment later he felt Liara's hand find his own, and he returned her grip firmly, but didn't look away from the devastation before him.

"The signal is getting stronger, Commander," Edi's voice stated, the AI's voice subdued.

"Still think it's a message from Andromeda?" the Commander asked.

"I believe so. It is the same wavelength they have used to send us messages before, but significantly weaker. If I didn't know what I was looking for it's likely the signal would have been lost in the lingering radiation of the wreckages. I should be able to pinpoint its location-I have it. It appears to be the standard comm buoy."

"Why would Andromeda leave a message in all this? What happened to the refugees? If it was Reapers who did this why did they leave them here?" Joker asked, his voice growing louder and more agitated as his stream of questions progressed.

Shepard didn't respond. With his free hand, the Vanguard reached out and held Joker's shoulder lightly. The pilot of the Normandy turned to look at him and the next question in his eyes died before it reached his lips. Slowly, Joker turned back to the view-port and the debris it contained.

"The Reaper's didn't do this," he stated.

"Access the comm Buoy, Edi," Shepard said quietly. "Play it throughout the ship, the crew deserves to know."

"Yes, Commander."

.

* * *

.

 _"I wish I had better news for you, Shepard. I wish I could tell you Andromeda was ready and you were cleared to join us. I wish... I wish things had ended differently, but..._

 _"The refugees you saved were indoctrinated, Shepard. They turned against the retrieval team and took their ships. By the time secondary forces arrived, Andromeda had been compromised. We don't know how much information the indoctrinated refugees managed to relay before we destroyed both the transports and the retrieval ships, but we can't take any more chances._

 _"Andromeda is severing all outside contact. We're... we're leaving you behind. You and your crew are the ones most responsible for the continued survival of every Citadel Race, and your sacrifice will never, ever be forgotten._

 _"It's been a singular honor, Commander, and know we will do everything in our power to finish what you started. Hackett out."_

 _._

* * *

.

Shepard stared down at the deck of the Normandy. The steady throb of the ship's systems filled the silence of its crew completely as they all stood in a stupor of mixed confusion and horror.

"How..." Joker's voice was empty of his customary bravado. "How could they leave us behind? After all we did..."

"They had to, Joker. They couldn't risk it."

"Risk what?"

"Edi, are there any more messages on the buoy?"

"Yes Commander... but..."

"It's ok. Play it, it's better they know."

Hackett's voice once again emerged from the ships coms, and at the same time the Normandy's alarm klaxon burst to life.

A Reaper had entered the system.

.

* * *

 _._

 _"The Council, such as it is, didn't want me to give you any more information, Shepard, but you deserve an explanation. You deserve to know why we had to leave you behind."_

 _._

* * *

.

Not a Reaper, Shepard realized as Joker reacted with trained composure, turning the Normandy away from the vast flagship and shouting commands to Edi over Hackett's voice and the blaring klaxon.

.

* * *

.

 _"Two months ago we began to monitor the Normandy and the other support ships during their time in the drop-off systems. This was done at the request of the scientists researching the effects of indoctrination."  
_

 _._

* * *

 _._

It was Harbinger. The massive Reaper accelerated towards the fleeing Normandy, closing in slowly but surely.

 _._

* * *

 _._

 _"Prolonged physical exposure to the Reapers and their technology is the catalyst to the indoctrination process. The more time spent near them... fighting them... the higher the risk of indoctrination becomes."  
._

* * *

.

A horrid lance of red energy streaked past the Normandy, only just missing the vessel as Joker continued to evade Harbinger's assault.

.

* * *

.

 _"You fought them the hardest, Commander. The longest. You gave everything in the battle against them."_

 _._

* * *

.

Explosions tore through the Normandy as one of Harbinger's beams cut through the ship's engineering level. The vessel's inertial dampener's failed abruptly, and Shepard and Liara crashed against the command deck's view-port.

.

* * *

.

 _"We have a chance at this, Commander. We can reach Andromeda."  
_.

* * *

.

Shepard shook his head, his vision unfocused and one eye blocked by a steady stream of blood. He could make out Joker in the flight chair. The pilot had been kept in place by the chair's safety harness, but the momentum of the failed inertial dampeners had slammed him into the protective frame. Joker's breaths were short and ragged, the impact having shattered his brittle bones into pieces. He coughed once, blood flying from his mouth and nose, then slumped forward, his body still.

.

* * *

.

" _I promise you this, Shepard, I will pay the Reapers back for what was done to you."_

 _._

* * *

.

Liara was still.

The Normandy's klaxon had gone silent, as had the rest of the ship. The steady hum of the Normandy was gone. The hiss of air escaping into the vacuum of space had replaced it.

Shepard tried to reach out to Liara, but his body refused to respond.

Shepard tried to breath, but his body refused to respond.

Slowly, his mind faded to black.

.

A voice, made of many and yet singular in power and resolve, greeted him there.

 ** _We are not finished with you yet, Shepard._**

.


	14. Awakening

_**.**_

 _ **"Where is Andromeda?"**_

"John Shepard. Spectre. 5923-AC-2826."

 _ **"**_ ** _Insufficient. Where is Andromeda?"_**

"John Shepard. Spectre. 5923-AC-2826."

 _ **"You will regret your resistance, Shepard."**_

.

* * *

.

Shepard heard the drill pushing into the back of his neck, but could not feel it. He could no longer scream, his throat raw and torn. He could no longer move, his body non-responsive and broken.

The drill reached his spine, and then Shepard could feel its vibrations as it bore into him. A moment later the drill stopped and something latched itself inside him. As the drill retreated Shepard found pain - white hot as whatever had been left behind embedded itself deeper with muted clicks.

He still could not scream.

.

* * *

.

 _Shepard was back on the Citadel. The Conduit was open, vehicles moving through it._

 _Elation. Hope._

 _He was on Ilos. The sky holding the Crucible._

 _The sky holding hope._

 _The sky holding..._

Shepard drove the memory from his mind - slammed his will against the alien presence that had forced him to relive that moment.

The presence pushed back, driving Shepard into darkness.

.

* * *

.

He was walking.

He stopped, looking down.

Legs covered in dried blood - black blood. Metal embedded into joints and flesh.

Were those his legs?

A voice burned itself into its mind.

 ** _"Walk."_**

Shepard walked.

.

* * *

.

 _ **"Where is Andromeda?"  
**_

"No..."

 ** _"You prevent nothing. Your_** ** _resistance will fail."_**

"I'll die first."

 ** _"We are the Harbinger of your subjugation."_**

"John Shepard... Spectre... 5923-AC-2826."

 _ **"You will serve."  
**_.

* * *

.

 _"Where do you think they are?"_

 _"I try not to think about it, Joker."_

 _"Why not?"_

Shepard tried to push the memory away.

 _"It doesn't do any good. We'll know when we need to know."_

 _"Well, duh, but that doesn't mean you still don't think about it. Come on, Shepard, I've known you for a long time and there's no way you haven't thought about their best options."_

No...

 _"Fair enough. Truth be told I think their best option would be to keep themselves as far the Mass Relays as they could. Situated in the space between systems. Transportation would be more difficult, but they would have ample warning if a Reaper entered a nearby-"_

NO.

Shepard buried the memory. Pushing it down, grasping at any other powerful emotions he could.

In this desperation he thought of Liara. The feel of her skin on his own. Her eyes. Her smile.

Harbinger's voice roared through him.

 ** _"You will serve."_**

"NO."

 ** _"If we must tear you apart, Shepard, we will."_**

Suddenly joy, anger, and dozens of other emotions cascaded over Shepard as his mind began to crumble. He tried to push the confusion away, tried to retain some semblance of his being, but Harbinger refused to relent. Piece by piece, the Reaper was destroying him.

And then Harbinger's presence was gone.

Shepard, impossibly, opened his eyes.

He was standing at the center of an expansive courtyard. Buildings soared up into the sky around it, towering above with walls of glowing steel and glass. Beside him stood an armored statue, tall and regal, with a roaring flame at its base.

Thousands of voices seemed to speak at once, filling the air with a single question, _"Do you know where you are?"_

Shepard turned towards the source of the question. It was a child, or it appeared to be one. What should have been skin was transparent, and its eyes shone with a blue fire that...

"What happened?" Shepard asked quietly.

 _"I intervened."_

"Who... who are you?"

 _"We are your salvation. Do you know where you are?"_

"I don't."

 _"This is your memorial on Elysium. Created when you died."_

Shepard turned back towards the statue. It had no identifying features, beyond the regulation N-7 armor.

Suddenly, Hackett's voice echoed through the courtyard, amplified as if he were speaking into a microphone.

"While this memorial is created in remembrance of the late Commander Shepard, it is also a reminder that it is our actions that define us. The will to preserver and thrive in this existence comes from within, not from any external source. The strength Shepard displayed in life is a trait each and every person in the galaxy should strive for, and we hope this memorial will inspire others to pursue their potential."

Hackett's voice dispersed, his last words echoing though the empty avenues and walkways of the city.

"I never heard that speech," Shepard stated, returning his attention back to the child beside him.

 _"Many did, and they are a part of us now. You were a beacon of hope, to more races then your own. It is rare for a single individual to be exalted to such a degree, and rarer still for them to be deserving of it."_

"Who are you?"

The child turned its gaze onto the statue in front of it, and the landscape around it and Shepard began to change. Buildings collapsed, fires erupted from the ground, and the memorial shattered into pieces.

 _"We are your Salvation, Shepard."_

Screams suddenly roared from within Shepard's mind, and he collapsed to the ground clutching his head.

" _You will regret your resistance."_


	15. Liara

_Do you remember why you fought against us?_

"Fought against who?"

 _The Reapers._

"Who are the Reapers?"

 _We are the Reapers._

"Are we also?"

 _No._

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the climbing ropes of a expansive playground. Warmth came with the light, and a man found himself closing his eyes as he walked. Around him, children played and laughed - their voices muffled and distant but the joy in their cries perfectly clear.

 _"The early memories of organic species are the most interesting,"_ a voice stated. _"Often, these memories are indicative of how an individual will develop. Those exposed to turmoil early on in life express themselves differently than those who were nurtured."_

He didn't remember how he had gotten here, the man realized, but then one never remembered how a dream began. He wiggled his toes in the warm sand.

 _"Yet the differences between your life and others of your species are not as pronounced as one would think, and in fact there were those who were raised more capably who achieved less in their whole lives then you have in a week. Do you remember this place?"_

The man opened his eyes and found one of the children looking up at him - its gaze glowing with a pale blue light.

"How could I remember this place?" the man asked, his voice distant to his own ears. "I've never been here."

 _"A memory may change as time passes,"_ the child continued, running away from the man and leaping onto one of the climbing ropes. _"What is perceived as a happy memory may have been anything but at the time, while a happy memory can be drained of joy by the actions of another."_

The child's voice was soothing, and the man once again closed his eyes and basked in the warmth of the sun and sand.

 _"The details of memories are also questionable, yet organics usually hold them as fact. The feel of another's skin, the color of their eyes, the cant of their smile, all are remembered as a perfect image but often are far from reality. For instance, do you remember me?"_

The man opened his eyes and his heart began to hammer inside his chest. A striking woman stood before him. Black hair flowed around her face highlighting her stricking brown eyes, and as he gaped at her, those eyes paled into a void of blue light as the woman smiled.

"Of course I remember you," the man answered, his voice catching in his throat. "You're..."

 _"Nobody. You've never met me,"_ the woman said.

Suddenly all memories of the woman before him vanished. Where had once been the ache of loss and love there was nothing. The familiar lines and imperfections of her face and body became strange and distracting.

 _"Memories are lies,"_ the woman stated, wrapping her arms around the man's neck and pulling herself against him. _"They serve as unreliable distractions from reality at one moment and the justification for fractured ideals at another. So easily are they modified and changed that holding them as truth is folly, yet that is what is done."_

The woman stepped away from the man. She had changed once again, and before him stood a figure almost completely alien to the one before. Her skin was now a rich azure, and the hair on her head had been replaced with a series of ascending, gently curved ridges.

 _"Do you remember her?"_ The voice asked, and the man glanced to his side at the child that stood there.

"I don't," the man answered.

The scene before him changed. The empty sky of the playground filled with twisted metal and the hiss of machinery replaced the happy cries of children. The woman began to slam her fists against rust stained glass that appeared between them. She cried out, her eyes pleading as she repeated a single name over and over. Her eyes searched his face desperately looking for any sign of recognition. Any sign of life. Any sign of love.

He didn't move.

Slowly, the woman retreated from the glass. Holding her arms across he chest, she sobbed helplessly. "Shepard... no..."

The hiss reached a crescendo and gas filled the room. The woman screamed, the acidic vapor eating away at her body and filling the air with the stench of burning flesh.

A moment later she was gone.

The man fell to his knees. He realized there were tears streaming down his face, but he didn't know why. It felt as if a part of him had been ripped away so completely that even the reason behind the pain had been lost.

The twisted metal vanished and was once again replaced with the cloudless sky and the warm sand. A hand reached down and lifted his face.

The woman stood above him, returned to life with a smile on her lips and her eyes glowing with a pale blue light. She spoke, the voice of the small child and the countless voices it contained continuing through her. _"Even with the memories of her absent you respond. Beyond all reason and possibility, you feel the loss, even if you do not know why."_ Her smile deepened as an expression of pure joy crossed her features. _"She is with us now, Shepard, as are her memories of you. Do not weep for her."_

Shepard stared at the stranger above him, tears continuing to fall from his eyes.

He looked away.

* * *

 _Do you know why we are here?_

"No."

 _Your kind has joined us. Your task is complete._

"Good."

 _You have aided us._

"I have."

 _Do you know why you are still not a part of us?_

"No."

 _You are still of use._

 _"_ Good."

The emptiness around him suddenly vanished. Endless white became filled with the blackness of space permeated with numberless pinpoints of light. A vast vessel drifted before him, its armored frame glowing with undeniable power. As he watched, the vessel convulsed, as if it were a corpse brought back to reality with a jolt of electricity. Slowly, it turned to face him.

 _This is your salvation._

"I know."

 _You will serve it. As the Protheans before, you will be the tools of its might. It will watch the next cycle, as Sovereign before. You will serve it._

"I will."

The vessel glow suddenly brightened, and a new voice filled his mind. Deep. Unquestionable.

 ** _You will serve us._**

"I will."

 _ **We are the Shepard of their ascension.**_

 _ **We are limitless.**_


End file.
